Synthesis of Aligned Carbon Nanofibers at 200°C

Aligned carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized at a growth temperature as low as 200degreesC by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition with hydrogen and methane gas mixtures. The synthesized CNFs were aligned perpendicular to the substrate and capped with a single-crystal Ni nanoparticle. The results indicate that the hydrogen species play a significant role in both the reduction of carbonaceous particles deposits and the formation of catalyst particles by effecting a moderate etching during the inductively coupled chemical vapor deposition.